JobsAdvocate Health

Occupational Therapist- Hand Therapy Outpatient

Advocate Health · Oswego, IL

Posted Aug 30, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

Behavioral

Tell me about a time you had to explain a home exercise program to a patient or family member who wasn't understanding it or wasn't motivated to do it.

patient education skill and persistence with non-compliant or confused patients

Have you supervised occupational therapy assistants or rehab aides before? How do you decide what to delegate and what you keep for yourself?

understanding of scope-of-practice boundaries and comfort directing extenders

Tell me about a patient discharge that didn't go smoothly. What happened and what would you do differently?

discharge planning competence and honest self-reflection

Describe a time you disagreed with a coworker or supervisor about a patient's care plan. How did you handle it?

collaboration style and ability to resolve clinical conflict professionally

Technical

Walk me through how you'd evaluate a new patient referred for a distal radius fracture, from the physician's referral to setting your first treatment goals.

whether the candidate can translate a physician order into a structured, defensible evaluation and plan of care

Tell me about your experience fabricating custom splints. What kinds of splints do you make most often and what's your process for fitting one to a patient's specific injury?

hands-on competency with orthotic fabrication, which is central to hand therapy practice

What's your experience with orthopedic hand, wrist, and elbow patients specifically, and are you a Certified Hand Therapist or working toward it?

direct fit against the preferred credential and required clinical population

What modalities do you use most for hand and wrist conditions, and how do you decide when a modality is contraindicated for a patient?

depth of clinical knowledge beyond exercise, including safety judgment

Situational

A patient isn't progressing the way you expected three weeks into their plan of care. How do you decide whether to adjust the treatment, talk to the referring physician, or both?

clinical judgment and willingness to communicate with the care team rather than just pushing through a stale plan

How do you keep your documentation and billing on schedule when you're also carrying a full caseload and productivity expectations?

time management and compliance mindset in a productivity-driven outpatient setting

Describe a situation where you had to push back on an insurance authorization limit that didn't match what the patient actually needed clinically.

advocacy skills and working knowledge of insurance authorization and visit limits

This clinic runs late two nights a week until 7pm. How do you manage your energy and focus for patients scheduled at the end of a long day?

realistic fit with the schedule and awareness of care quality consistency

If your caseload suddenly includes patients outside your usual specialty because the clinic needs coverage, how do you approach treating a population you're less familiar with?

flexibility and honesty about scope, since the posting explicitly allows for cross-coverage of other populations

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The full job description

As published by Advocate Health.

Department: 05602 AMG Oswego - Outpatient Rehabilitation Status: Full time Benefits Eligible: Yes Hou rs Per Week: 40 Schedule Details/Additional Information: Certified Hand Therapist Preferred. Orthopedic hand, wrist, elbow, experience required. Can offer full-time 40 hours per week if candidate is competent in treating additional patient populations. 2 nights of patient care until 7pm per week, no weekend work. Clinic operating hours: M-Th 6:30am-7pm F 6:30-2:30 Saturday, Sunday CLOSED Pay Range: $38.20 - $57.30 $5000 sign on for experienced Hand Therapy OT Major Responsibilities: Interprets physician referrals and evaluates the patient's physical, perceptual, cognitive, social, and vocational abilities and their impact on the patient's activities of daily living. Establishes a plan of care and implements individual treatment based on evaluation results, functional goals and by utilizing appropriate techniques. Provides and/or fabricates assistive devices and/or splints to enhance patient's functional independence. Monitors and evaluates outcomes and appropriately adjusts individualized treatment plan based on patient's response and provides status updates to physicians and other teammates. Identifies factors affecting patient's physical and psychosocial comfort and attends to these needs. Plans for and completes patient discharge including providing written home programs, patient/family teaching, referral for community services, transition planning within the continuum of care and ordering equipment as indicated/appropriate. Communicates and collaborates with appropriate stakeholders to assist in achieving optimum care for the patient. Completes all required documentation following department policy and accreditation standards with appropriate co- signatures, including patient evaluations, progress notes, team conference reports, and discharge summaries as appropriate. Record patient care and progress of each patient assigned. Completes daily statistics, billing, and scheduling. Applies insurance guidelines regarding authorization and number of visits. Responsible for maintaining site/department established productivity standards.  Responsible for understanding and adhering to all billing and documentation policies, procedures, and timelines. Responsible for cleaning up after patient treatment, putting away equipment, and keeping area neat and orderly.  Performs various manual techniques, patient positioning, transferring and transporting duties, which require lifting and pushing/pulling, while utilizing proper technique.   Demonstrates skill in use of modalities, exercise equipment and other devices that are available in area worked per department orientation checklist.  Demonstrates knowledge of indications and contraindications of modalities and exercise.  Promotes patient safety by participating in safety initiatives as requested and appropriately follows all safety and infection control measures pertaining to the general working environment. Participates in performance improvement activities designed to identify and resolve problems affecting patient care outcomes and to improve quality of care.  Manages assigned caseload, informing site leadership of coverage needs and ability to cover; assists with coverage, based on department needs and regional needs. Pursues professional growth through participation in continuing education courses, department in-services, and reading professional literature.  Orients new staff to clinical and department policies as requested. Participates in the evaluation process of co-workers by providing verbal or written feedback as requested. May supervise occupational therapy assistants following all applicable state and local compliance requirements.  This includes delegating patients to assistive personnel while providing direction, recommendations regarding treatment and ongoing supervision while maintaining responsibility for patient plan of care and goals.  May directly supervise occupational therapy extenders (rehab aides/techs) in administering treatments to patients and will teach them appropriate techniques to perform with specific patients.  May supervisor occupational therapy students after completing one year of clinical experience. Minimum Job Requirements Education Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from an accredited school or educational requirements commensurate with the date of graduation; maintains continuing education requirements as mandated by applicable state professional standards Certification / Registration / License Licensed Occupational Therapist in the State upon which you work. Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers (obtained within 90 days unless department leader has determined is not required) by American Heart Association (AHA) Work Experience Hand therapy exp preferred Knowledge / Skills / Abilities Intermediate computer skills Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organization skills Demonstrated organization, decision-making, and problem-solving skills Successfully completes all competency assessments/requirements pertaining to provision of patient care and consistent with site standards Team members will maintain annual educational requirements for hospital-based certifications (e.g. DNV, CARF or others). Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served.  Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs. Physical Requirements and Working Conditions Must be able to sit, stand, walk, lift, and squat throughout the workday Must be able to: lift up to 50 lbs. from floor to waist. lift up to 10 lbs. from waist to overhead. lift and carry up to 40 lbs. at waist height a reasonable distance Must be able to:  push/pull with 30 lbs. of force. perform a sliding transfer of 150 lbs. with a second person present Position requires repetitive use of hands: Simple grasping - 5-15 lbs. - 20% of the workday. Pushing/pulling - up to 75-100 lbs. - 10% of the day Fine manipulation of hands during massage and joint mobilization Must have functional use of senses to allow for effective communication Exposed to electrical and chemical hazards as well as blood and body fluids; therefore, must have ability to wear protective clothing as needed Position may require travel; therefore, may be exposed to road and weather hazards Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job #LI- Handtherapy #LI- OT #LI-Outpatient #LI- REHAB DISCLAIMER All responsibilities and requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only responsibilities to be performed by an employee occupying this job or position.  Employees must follow any other job-related instructions and perform any other job-related duties requested by their leaders Our Commitment to You: Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including: Compensation • Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training • Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job • Incentive pay for select positions • Opportunity for annual increases based on performance Benefits and more • Paid Time Off programs • Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability • Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses • Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave • Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs • Educational Assistance Program Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e.g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview. About Advocate Health  Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.

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